Surgical splint



Nov. 1 1, 1930.

SURGICAL SPLINT Filed Dc. 1 gay;-

2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Nov. 11, 1930 IUNITED STAT-ES rATENT ,oF tcE THOMAS s. WILKES, or CORVALLIS, OREGON' SURGICAL; sPLIN'r Application filed December 1, 1927. Serial No. 236,890.

This invention relates to surgical splints, and has as its principal object to provide an all metal splint of a minimum numberof parts that will be adaptable for use on either the requirements of youth or adult.

A further object is toprovide a means of applying the pressure of the splint to any desired spot on the injured limb and a means of exerting tension on the limb whenever needed to hold the fractured bones in the proper adjustment.

Due to the peculiar constructionof this device, an examination of the limb may be made at any time without removing the splint. I

These advantages will be readily understood and appreciated by surgeons.

In the accompanying drawings I, have shown the preferred embodiment of my in, vention, but the same is susceptible of various structural changes,without departing from the spirit of my invention. 7

In the drawings Figure 1 is a broken top view of my splint as adapted for use on the right arm;

Figure 2 is an enlarged section'alview of the hand frame regarding the same from the inside;

Figure 3 is a side view of the splint with the upper arm section flexed;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the shoulder crutch, regarding the same from the inside;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional detail of the outside frame for the forearm;

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the roll-beaded or inside rail, 7

'Figure 7 is a top view of my splint as the limb;

Figure 8 is a side view of the splint with the tension bows;

Figure 9 is an enlarged cross sectional view 7 of the clip or outside. rail;

Figure 10 is an enlarged detail ofthe elbowhinge arrangement. v v

In the embodiment shown, the splint is for use on the entire arm-and, therefore, con- 59 sists of three sections, one for the hand, as

right or left limbs andadjustable in size to equipped with tension bows for stretching judgment of the surgeon.

represented atA, one for'the forearm, asrepresented at B, and one for the upper arm, as represented atC. For the ease and comfort of the wearer, these sections are connected at the wrist'and elbow by hinge joints D 5, and E respectively. i 1

In carrying out this embodiment of my invention, I provide an, inside longitudinal roll-beaded rail 1 of a, length suitable for use on the forearm. This rail is formed of a 60 single blank of metal into the shape clearly shown in Figure 6, having a V-shaped channel 2, the outer hook-flanges or hooks 3 and lips t'projecting inwardly from theedge of the said hook-flanges or. hooks 3. Theoutside longitudinal or clip rail 5 is essentially the same in'shape and length as the rail 1, differing only in that the lips ,4 are eliminated. Connecting these two rails are the transverse sections or bands 6,'which have their ends bent into the hooks 7'and 8 adapted to engage the hooks'3 of the elements 1 and 5. To mount these bands 6, the hook 7 is placed in the hook 3 on the inside rail, the 1 lip serving as a stop to hold it in place. With Z5 this as a pivoting point, the bands '6' are swung over so that the hook 8 slips-into the hook 8 on the rail 5,: as shown in Figure 9. 7 To secure the sections 6 in this position, clips In orderthat the elbow maybe flexed,a hinged jointE is provided. Bars 12 have their ends of a'shape adapted to fit the channels 2 in the rails, being secured by a suitable bolt 13. The opposite ends of the said bars 12are formed into circular pivoting blocks l l having central holes 15 for the passage of the boltslfi. As often necessarytose,

' 7 cure the hinges a set position, I provide aseries of small holes 17 arranged in a circle in the usual manner, pins 19' being secured to "the opposite ends of said washers. It 'Inay be seenithajt'byiplaoing these 'pi nsthrougheny two opposite holes "inthe bldks lli thifhinge I V 1,786,9'5 v 38. The saidinside hand crutch bar 37 has a series of square apertures 39 near its upper and lower edges, theintervening space being roundedv off at 40 as was'xdescribed v for .the

shoulder bar 28. The Outside hand section is curved outwardly at 4:1 and formed into a L shapeto fit inthechannel oitheshort'seotion s eifitl1e oli p ra i-l 4-2. A lowertransverse band By unscrewing the'gnut on the bolt 16, the yoke Washer 18 may be'urzrwn summits:

' "may be held in any desired angularrpositionh A3'Ihas the extending fingers 59 on its inner edge bent around the said rounded portions engaging the pins 19 from the holes 17 until an adjustment is made. development clearly,

On' the free ends of r an inside longitudimxl grail -2o (if r the "same s'lrwp'e a rai l 1-, sad beihgrof a length suitable v use on the arinfaird am 'outsi'de lon- QIeXaet Lyas rail "5 era'ies th lit'i well, up *tdthe shoulder; fl lsefie'sipf holes 22 are fr'ormed in the 'eniisof these rails 20 andfll adjoiiringathe elbow h i rr ge and the endwezfthe bars 1 2 have tit-corresponding se- 3 ma iner of eonneetintg th me-seems 21 can not he farther 7 than the armpit, I and for this Feason speeial: transverse 'shoulder *s'eotif'on's 25, haying their upperredgess26 v in 1ihe shape of areversd'curye :to fit the 'shfoalproi idedi Intheupperendpfthe' I 11 20 ispplaioed 'the"V shaipedextrein ity 2'7 of'the shoulder eru'tch bar Q8,*the*same held by a' boltr "The upper-"end 29 of y are 1 rs 32 are fbent i a'rounal the r'oundelseotionSYtodorm a hi nge swung oVer ir-1 1:0 the rails21 *and he'ld by the 5 olip This *o01ripl'ete the arm :Ifpo'rti'on of" its-e willbe easilv h nderstoodtnat 51131 split-it may be built in this way. mesa -seetien is pivot-east :as- 1n the same mariner es {the elbow-v r with as'eries holes 35 thbt' b y means of co rrespoi fl-mg liolels 3fi *ihthe sewer V shes e f "sustain f1 and 's tes ltarge "r p the Figure 3 shows this the bars 12 are slipped esper "fit itHe eont uref;-

" Ian-er to the iron l'e'di-p'orover I tssesmpsere reed a esses square apertures sam a portidn between the edges-and these :'said s apefitu eseo being rounded as shown at --Ihe'-transv 'erse'slioulder seot-ions 25havethir v amide @rqv ided with "a :seriesrof-fingers 5 "32 spaced equally to jerfl age the said =aper V ftu res 30.1 These 'ss'aid 1 mess- 1bit The upper transband 43 and has an arcuate out-out ec5 on its ftioii's 40 efithe ent rs-7'12 1 swu g tlfe'rail 42. flhese'-bands are-seeured by nature or the smart necessitates ascension er beiarg exerted on; "the .1 arm It consi-sts or a I forearm section B similar to the section B of thenlain structure and a hand s'eetien A" similar to the 'fseotlo n A *O'f the structure; this modification ithe ate s insi de'j'bar 37 of the hand' porfiion A ex- T tended in; the form of a'flat strip and-the '7 at lra e-fs l ots 53 that suitable rel inping bolt '54 with thumb nut 55 may be 'i2p1acedthr6ugh them; The upper section is reInOVed -atthe hingeand the arm teil 'sion strips'56 put in its p-l zv'eeg l hekends '57 as these strips afe formed/into a *oireular shape with ahdlfe'tfor the bolt 16 and h 'les for-the 1 9. The-end ar thesestrips are given a quarter and haveslotsee; we

5 1 and thumb nut 55 exactly as the hanol'ten- -sion bow 60. These "bow may be' pl'aced at necessary, a g1eve is placed on the' hand, the fingers being fastened to the hend tefnsio'n bo iiv tifly a strap liot SliO" around the elbew ands, "t" d It is obvieus sri'giit ar'Isrtiifibofesysize; Wits sure is needed on any oertain pointpp ig b'efilaoed under one of the transverse sections a over that point or tlie station ma be sngiiuy dented; QByWiriiioI changes, the splihtfifiay lie flaf jjte for iiseen waitresses,

38 ex-tended the strip- 51 to i s form the hand tension new 60. r I The en'ds o'f V giv'en aigua'rter-turn as shown tails of construction and assembly, not departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A surgical splint including tubular side bars presenting concave faces at their inner sides and provided at their outer sides with spaced longitudinal flanges of hook formation extending laterally of the side bars in opposite directions, and aplurality of semicircular bands having hook-shaped terminals engaging the hooloshaped flanges of the side bars, the hook shaped flanges of one of the side bars being provided with inwardly extending lips forming abutments for the adjacent ends of the semi-circular bands, and clips spanning the space between the flanges of the other side bar and securing the semicircular bands in the flanges thereof.

2. A. surgical splint composed of sections comprising tubular side bars approximately V-shaped in cross section and presenting concave faces at their inner sides and having spaced longitudinal flanges at their outer 5 sides of hook-shaped formation extending laterally of the side bars in opposite directions, a plurality of semi-circular bands having hook-shaped terminals engaging the hook-shaped flanges of the side bars and eonnecting means for the sections having substantially V-shaped members telescoping into the tubular side bars.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. THOMAS WILKES. 

